Tie plate



" E H. BELL Jan. 30, 1934.

TIE PLATE Filed Jan. 15. 1952 l 5. WW

Patented Jan. 30, 1934 TIE PLATE Edwin H. Bell, Chicago, Ill.

Application January 15, 1932. Serial No. 586,743

'7 Claims.

This invention relates to tie plates and more particularly to plates constructed so that the load carried by the plate will be uniformly distributed from end to end of the plate, and which shall be lighter in weight than tie plates of corresponding dimensions now in use, the eficiency and strength of which shall in no wise be impaired by reason of the reduction in weight.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a bottom plan view of a plate embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of same.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary top plan view of the plate.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view of a modified form of plate.

Referring now to that form of the invention which I have chosen to illustrate in the drawing, the plate is provided with a top rail bearing surface 5 and a transversely extending rail abutting shoulder 6. The rail bearing surface 5 extends from the shoulder 6 toward the other end of the plate to a line indicated at '7. Between the shoulder 6 and the margin '7 of the rail bearing surface 5, the top of the plate is provided with two transversely extending'grooves 8 and 9, which are spaced apart by a relatively narrow, transversely extending portion of the rail bearing surface indicated at 5. The combined widths of g the grooves 8 and 9 are preferably equal to about one-half of the aggregate widths of the rail bearing surfaces 5 and 5, between the shoulder 6 and margin 7 thereof, and said grooves are preferably of the depth and contour indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. 1 and by the sectional view, Fig. 2.

In each of the grooves 8 and 9 are a plurality of parallel, arcuate surfaces 10 extending transversely of the grooves and longitudinally of the a plate, said arcuate surfaces intersecting to form a. plurality of ribs 11. The lowermost portions of the arcuate surfaces 10 form the bottoms of the grooves 8 and 9, and the ribs 11 are in a plane slightly below the rail bearing surfaces 5 and 5'. While these ribs 11 may be in the same plane as said rail bearing surfaces, if desired, such an arrangement would require slightly more metal than does the construction shown, without adding to the efliciency of the plate. The ends of the arcuate surfaces 10 curve upwardly and outwardly as indicated at 12 to form an archlike construction between the ends of the groove surfaces 10 and the rail bearing surfaces 5 and 5. The effect of the construction described is to largely compensate for the elimination of metal from the top of the plate and to produce an unusually light and efficient tie plate.

The top surface of the plate, outwardly of the rail abutting shoulder ,6, is curved as indicated at 13, forming a curved fillet between the shoulder 6 and plate end'li. At the'opposite end of the plate, adjacent the edge of. the rail bearing surface 5, is a curved surface 15 which merges into the plate end 16. The top surfaces of the ends 14 and 16 are in a plane below the rail bearing surface 5, considerable metal being saved by the recessing or cutting away of the upper portion of the ends without detracting from the strength of the plate. This is accomplished by providing the curved fillets 13 and 15 between said ends and the rail bearing surface of the plate, said curved portions being located adjacent the edges of the rail Seat and rail abutting shoulder where the plate is subject to the greatest strains.

The plate bottom is fiat beneath the surfaces 13, 14, 15 and 16,.as indicated at 17 and 18, and if desired, a blunt, transversely extending rib 19 may be provided beneath the edges of the rail seat.

Intermediate the surfaces 17 and 18, or ribs 19, the plate bottom consists of longitudinally ex tending ribs 20 and intermediate surfaces 21. The ribs 20 are preferably tapered, greater in width at their centers than atthe ends which merge into the ribs 19 or the end surfaces 17 and 18. Said ribs are preferably inthe same horizontal planeas the surfaces 17 and 18. The surfaces 21 are preferably inclined from the center of the plate toward the ribs 19 or ends of the plate.

In the modified form shown in Fig. 4, the flat bottom end surfaces 17 and 18 are extended inwardly to a greater extent than in the construction of Fig. 2, as indicated at 22 and 23, and the bottom of the plate between said surfaces consists of the oppositely inclined surfaces 24.

The flat surfaces of the plate bottom may be provided with a blunt, transversely extending rib 19 such as described in Figs. 1 to 3 of the drawing, said rib being located beneath the edges of the rail seat. The rib 19 becomes seated in the tie very promptly after the plate has been subjected to loads. The presence of the ribs 19 does not interfere with the uniform distribution of load from end to end of the plate, from substantially the moment of seating of the plate on the tie.

When the plate of the present invention is provided with the reinforced grooves 8 and 9 shown and described in connection with Figs. 1 to 3, inclusive, I use the longitudinally extending ribs 20 to reinforce the median portion of the plate bottom, but if the form of rail seat shown in Fig. 4 is used, then the longitudinally extending ribs may be dispensed with at the bottom of the plate.

Changes may be made in details of construction without departing from the scope of my invention and I do not intend to be limited to the exact form shown and described except as set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:-

1. A tie plate provided on its top with a rail bearing surface, a transversely extending rail abutting shoulder, end surfaces in a plane below the plane of the rail bearing surface, and curved fillets connecting one end surface with the rail abutting shoulder and the other end surface with one edge of the rail bearing surface, said plate having fiat bottom surfaces, carrying depending ribs, said bottom surfaces extending inwardly from the ends of the plate to points located inwardly of the edges of the rail seat, and surfaces inclined longitudinally of the plate, extending upwardly from said bottom end surfaces toward bearing surface, a transversely extending rail abutting shoulder, end surfaces in a plane below the plane of the rail bearing surface, and curved fillets connecting one end surface with the rail abutting shoulder and the other end surface with one edge of the rail bearing surface, said plate having flat bottom surfaces, carrying depending ribs, said bottom surfaces extending inwardly from the ends of the plate to points located inwardly of the edges of the rail seat, surfaces inclined longitudinally of the plate, extending upwardly from said bottom end surfaces toward the middle of the plate, and longitudinally extending ribs depending from said inclined surfaces.

3. A tie plate provided on its top with a rail bearing surface, a transversely extending rail abutting shoulder, end surfaces in a plane below the plane of the rail bearing surface, and curved fillets connecting one end surface with the rail abutting shoulder and the other end surface with one edge of the rail bearing surface, said plate having flat bottom surfaces, carrying depending ribs, said bottom surfaces extending inwardly from the ends of the plate to points located inwardly of the edges of the rail seat, surfaces inclined longitudinally of the plate, extending upwardly from said bottom end surfaces toward the middle of the plate, and longitudinally extending ribs depending from said inclined surfaces, said ribs terminating in the same plane as the bottom end surfaces.

4. A tie plate provided on its top with a rail bearing surface, a transversely extending rail abutting shoulder, end surfaces in a plane below the plane of the rail bearing surface, and curved fillets connecting one end surface with the rail abutting shoulder and the other end surface with one edge of the rail bearing surface, the rail bearing surface being grooved transversely of the plate, said plate having fiat bottom surfaces, carrying depending ribs, said bottom surfaces extending inwardly from the ends of the plate to points located inwardly of the edges of the rail seat, surfaces inclined longitudinally of the plate extending upwardly from said bottom end surfaces toward the middle of the plate and longitudinally extending ribs depending from said inclined surfaces.

5. A tie plate provided on its top with a rail bearing surface, a transversely extending rail abutting shoulder, end surfaces in a plane below the plane of the rail bearing surface, and curved fillets connecting one end surface with the rail abutting shoulder and the other end surfacewith one edge of the rail bearing surface, and having,

a flat bottom extending inwardly from the ends of the plate, surfaces inclined longitudinally of the plate, extending upwardlyfrom said bottom end surfaces toward the middle of the plate, and blunt, transversely extending ribs depending from said flat end surfaces beneath the edges of the rail seat. I

6. A tie plate provided on its top with a rail bearing surface, a transversely extending rail abutting shoulder, end surfaces in a plane below the plane of the rail bearing surface, and curved fillets connecting one end surface with the rail abutting shoulder and the other end surface with one edge of the rail bearing surface, and having a flat bottom extending inwardly from the ends abutting shoulder, and having flat bottom sur-.

faces extending inwardly from the endsof the plate to points located inwardly of the edges of the rail seat, the median portion of the plate bottom between said flat end surfaces being recessed and having oppositely inclined surfaces extending upwardly toward the transverse center line of said median portion from said end surfaces.

EDWIN HiBELL. 

